The need for organizational crisis management is one of the many sobering lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first year of the pandemic, 200,000 more business closures occurred than normal, according to the Federal Reserve. Even in the midst of unprecedented hardships, many of these closures could’ve been avoided through strategic disaster planning.
That’s where a crisis management plan comes into play.
A crisis management strategy identifies and mitigates threats to business operations and profitability. With a detailed plan in place, companies can ensure financial stability, safety of employees, and business continuity throughout unexpected events.
And a major component of any crisis management plan is having the right tools in place. Here are 5 digital transformation solutions that can help you effectively keep your business running when disaster strikes.
Document Scanning: Converting Paper to Digital
Document scanning services convert physical files into a digital format, so documents remain safe during crises like floods and fires. Digitizing your documents also enables your employees to continue working when crises, such as pandemics and natural disasters, prevent them from going into the office. When files are available virtually, staff can access the documents they need from anywhere, on any device.
And that goes for all document types. The best business process outsourcing partners offer traditional backfile conversion services as well as large format and book scanning services. You can make everything from employee records to blueprints to laboratory notebooks available digitally.
Digital Mailroom: Enabling Remote Work
Not being able to access incoming business documents can be a real headache in the event of a crisis. Fortunately, with an outsourced mailroom, you can ensure your mail flow is uninterrupted no matter what.
A digital mailroom eliminates physical documents from entering your organization and enables remote work. Incoming documents are received, scanned, indexed, and digitally routed to employees working at home or in the office in a timely manner. Incoming emails undergo a similar process. Documents that are embedded or sent as attachments are converted into the right format, data is captured, and the information is routed to the correct recipients wherever they are.
Cloud Document Management: Providing Easy Access to Files
A cloud document management solution lets you securely search, retrieve, and collaborate on documents from anywhere, on any device.
Cloud document management software can also be integrated with your accounting, ERP, CRM, HRMS, and other backend applications, allowing your employees to continue using the software they’re used to. Even in a crisis, you can rest assured that crucial documents are protected and easy to access, so you can ensure business continuity.
Business Process Automation: Driving Operational Efficiencies
Automation solutions, including robotic process automation (RPA) and workflow automation, streamline manual, repetitive, and often paper-based processes that can be challenging to handle – especially during a crisis.
With RPA, information can be acquired, enhanced, and delivered quickly and efficiently from virtually any application, such as websites, portals, and desktop programs. Workflow automation simplifies and expedites processes and plays a key role in making remote work possible.
By eliminating manual data entry and facilitating remote work, employees don’t need to be in the office to complete important tasks. Many of these tasks can even be completed without any human intervention at all, making getting work done possible when it really counts.
AP Automation: Ensuring Invoices Continue to Be Processed
Imagine a major storm makes it impossible for your employees, including those in your AP department, to get to the office. This means invoice processing will be disrupted and vendors won’t be paid promptly, right?
Wrong! With accounts payable automation, you can ensure invoice processing won’t be disrupted during a crisis. AP automation solutions were built to expedite invoice processing, reduce costs, and increase efficiency – and the best ones follow through with these promises, even in the event of a disaster.
Additionally, if your organization still receives paper invoices, an AP automation solution can convert them to digital files, so they’re protected from damage during a crisis.
Get Help from an Experienced Crisis Management Partner
Having worked closely with crisis management teams in various industries, MetaSource has extensive experience providing digital solutions that streamline business processes, reduce errors, enable remote work, and facilitate business continuity during any business disruption. We’re a PCI DSS, SOC 2 Type 2, HIPAA, CJIS, and GDPR compliant partner with multiple backup systems and 24/7 surveillance.
To learn more about crisis management for your organization, contact us today or download our guide, A Business Survival Guide to Crisis Management.
Your Business Survival Guide to Crisis Management
Learn how to create a strategic plan for business continuity so that you’re prepared when disasters strike.
